Internship opportunities
2019 internships
The Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum is a children’s museum located in Glen Oak Park. The PlayHouse offers 8,000 square feet of exhibit space with hands-on, interactive exhibits which showcase the industry, culture, and natural environment of Peoria and Central Illinois. In addition to permanent exhibits, the PlayHouse also offers a number of workshops and programs for families, kids, and adults.
Successful interns are innovative thinkers and leaders who are outgoing to possess a commitment to diversity and excellent customer service in support of PlayHouse goals.
to apply for internships:
Please complete the PlayHouse Intern Application Form to apply for PlayHouse Internships. Contact Kristin Vannatta, Operations Manager at kvannatta@peoriaparks.org with additional questions.
TEEN INTERNSHIPS
High School students are invited to join the PlayHouse Teen Internship Program. This program will run throughout the summer, and will provide teens with volunteer opportunities as well as workshops that will help prepare them for their future careers.
Teens must be 14 to 17 years of age, and/or entering 9th through 12th grades.
- Attend required training sessions
- Commit to 50 scheduled volunteer hours throughout the 9 week program
- The Teen Intern Program runs from June-August, annually
Teen Interns will...
- Understand what a children’s museum is and how it operates
- Be able to facilitate informal learning among children and families
- Understand workplace rules such as punctuality, appearance, and engagement
- Understand and be able to promote the value of the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum for its audiences and the Central Illinois community
Students are selected at the start of each semester, and must attend an orientation training upon acceptance into the program. We are now accepting applications until May 18th for Summer 2019 Teen Internships.
Marketing Intern, Summer 2019
Responsibilities:
- Assist Marketing Coordinator in maintaining and creating social media campaigns including researching and drafting social media posts according to PlayHouse guidelines and mission
- Represent the PlayHouse at festivals and other community events
- Attend PlayHouse staff and marketing meetings when possible
- Depending on time and interests, take on one or more of the following projects: analyze social media data; photograph PlayHouse programs; catalog PlayHouse image libraries
Qualifications:
- Applicants must be upper-level undergraduate (sophomore, junior or senior) or graduate level.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and strong interpersonal skills including comfort interacting with children and families.
- Coursework or experience in marketing; interest in social media marketing and / or branding preferred.
- Experience or interest in the work of children’s museums / community non-profits. Previous museum experience is not required.
- All intern placements are contingent upon the successful completion of screening requirements including a background check. Please be sure to fill out application in addition to sending resume and cover letter.
Internship dates and hours:
June - August (flexible). Summer interns are expected to work between 15 and 30 hours per week, depending on availability.
Development Intern, Summer 2019
Responsibilities:
- Assist Development Coordinator in maintaining donor database by entering in-kind donations, generating receipts, and updating donor information as needed. (Interns will be trained in the database – no prior development database experience required.)
- Conduct donor research.
- Assist with the PlayHouse’s fall fundraiser, “Be Anything!”.
- Assist with and track #GivingTuesday social media campaign.
- Assist with writing materials as needed.
- Attend PlayHouse staff and development meetings when possible.
- Depending on time and interests, research grant prospects and draft proposals.
Qualifications:
- Applicants must be an undergraduate student (sophomore, junior or senior)
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and strong interpersonal skills including comfort interacting with children and families.
- Coursework or experience in a relevant area preferred – for example, development, public relations, communications or marketing, or non-profit management.
- Experience or interest in the work of community non-profits and/or children’s museums.
- Experience working with databases a plus, but not required.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
- Able to work independently and take initiative on projects.
- All intern placements are contingent upon the successful completion of screening requirements including a background check. Please be sure to fill out application in addition to sending resume and cover letter.
Internship dates and hours:
June - August (flexible). Summer interns are expected to work between 15 and 30 hours per week, depending on availability.
Monticello Education Intern, August 2019 - August 2020 (PAID)
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate field trips, including:
- Communicate with teachers interested in booking field trips.
- Complete field trip bookings in museum calendar and in the museum's booking system.
- Assist in setup and facilitation of interactive field trip experiences, including leading selected field trips.
- Assist with education events and programs; design activities or components of programs.
- Assist with booking additional programs, including birthday parties and rentals, as needed.
Qualifications:
- College degree is required. Degree in Education, Museum Studies, Art or Early Childhood Development a plus.
- Experience in a formal or informal educational setting working with children 0-9 years of age. Previous experience in a
museum or with customer service is a plus. - Must have excellent communication and customer service skills.
- Experience or desire to work with a highly diverse audience in a busy atmosphere.
- Must have experience or interest in working with children and families in an informal educational setting.
- Ability to interact positively and spontaneously with visitors.
Knowledge of basic telephone and PC functions including Microsoft Office. - Ability to contribute to an atmosphere of teamwork and positive energy among staff and volunteers.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously with a minimal degree of supervision.
Internship dates and hours:
Stipend is $15,000 for one-year internship, to be paid in increments every 2 weeks. Typical work hours are assigned and performed on weekdays, 9am - 4pm, but may include some evening and weekend
hours. 28 hours per week.
This internship has a study/research component, which includes the opportunity to travel to other museums and meet with staff there, and/ or attend regional conferences. Study/research time is unpaid; there is a $1000 budget for travel expenses paid for by the Park District.